Hosiery clipping and everting machine



1959 as. LONG ETAL 2,

HOSIERY CLIPPING AND EVERTING MACHINE I Filed May 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTORS 5TUART 5. Lane BASIL 5. Cox

ATTORNEYS Filed May 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 5 m m We N A N R E 0 O VX W N. o I C A 5 r 5 Jr R A M 0 U 5Q: T A 5 5 Y B 2 & Ill

United States Patent 2,899,116 -HOSIERY CLIPPIN GAN D EVERTING' MACHINEStuarts. Long, Pulaski, and. Basil B. Cox, Wurno Community,Va.,l}'assignors of one-third to Paul Knitting Mills, Inc.,Pulaski,"Va., a corporation of Virginia Application May -7,-1958,"S'erial No. 733,700 9 Claims. "(Cl.': 223--43) Thisvinvent'ion'relates -to-techniques and machinery used inthe rna'nufacture= andhandling of hosiery.

Aseis-understoodywhen hosiery is removed from a x knittingmachine or the:like,:defects such as loose yarn ends or floated yarnsanormally arepresent on the inside -:-=of=-the rstockingwor sock. Machines havepreviously ":b'een'proposed for-inspecting the hose for .such defectsand for clipping and removing ;-the undesirable yarn and yarn tends.

Atpresent, the machinesmost commonly used include a. flat metal 'board-forholding the sock inside out and it -is necessary-during theprocessing for the operator to turn this. boardover byrotating it on ahorizontal axis in order to clip-both sides of the sock.

In some cases, machines have been proposed that ineluded a mechanically.rotated formfor a holding the sock inside out and rotating it while anexternal clipping --means is applied. However, .such machines require apreliminary cutting or-slitting step bythe operator oncertaintypesofhose. This step isnot only tedious but is also expensive.Furthermore, these machinesinvolve high initial cost; are quitecomplicated in structure, and

lack satisfactory flexibility of operation.

As faras is -known, no satisfactory. machinery has heretofore beendevised wherejthe .hosiery-flformds rotatedmechanically with automatic.doflinganeans being provided for removal. of the. sock from the formafter performing the .trimmingoperation, and hence, it is a primaryobject oflithis invention-to: provide. such a rnachine. v A 7 'Anotherobject resides in the provision of a novel, ex-

. pedient and simplified method and apparatus for inspecting, trimmingand handling hosiery,

A further and more specific: object resides in the-provision of ahosiery machine"including a novelgarrangement of a mechanicallyrotatable hosiery form and means for automatically evertingthe'sock-while removingitfrom the form.

Additional objects reside in'the provision of novel wstructures,arrangements and combinationsin hosiery machinery, of the-type-referredto, particularly adapted w to facilitate hosiery trimming and everting-.operations.

The invention, in one-aspect thereof,-contemplates a novel arrangementofa tubular-form to hold a sock in an "inside-out position ,whileit isbeing inspected and trim- 'med in combination with meansfor'mechanicallyrotating -this form: and for thereafter applying asuction :thereto .-to 'draw the sock from the exterior of the form into1 the latter, tojturnthe sock, and convey it man appropriate collectingreceptacle or the like.

-In anotheriaspectgtthe invention contemplates a'novel controlarrangement for convenient regulation of I the operation-of the' meansforrotating'thexhosiery form and the means sfor; applying suctionthereto.

* Further objects and advaiit'ages of" the irive'nti'on will *be in-part obvious-and-inpart pointed out hereinafter.

The novel-features of'the invention may be best made 2,899,116 PatentedAug. 11, 1959 line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to: the drawings, a hosiery trimming and-evertingapparatus embodying the invention is illus- ,tratedin'Figure 1' and isidentified generally by numeral 20. This apparatus includes a tubularhosiery form'22 adapted to" have a stocking or sock 24 jfitted thereoverinside out,-and a clipping means '26 adapted to clip loose yarn ends orfloated yarns on the sock.

As .previously'indicated, means are provided for rotatingthe tubular for-rn,2 2 at relatively high speeds to facilitate the clippingof .theunwanted yarns by the clipping nie ans 26, -\as. will bedescribed indetail hereinb elow. And other .means,. also to be described in detailhereinbelow, are provided for sucking ordrawing the sock inwardly intothe forrn22 to turn it right sideout and conveyit, for example, ,toan-appropriate collecting recepta cjle (not shown).

The clipping means 26 maybe of any conventional construction, including,for example, a cutting head 28,

flexible driving cable 39 connected .thereto, and a tube :32. Onesuehclipping means is-disclosed in Patent No. 2 ,5l,ll9, and 'as indicatedtherein, the cable .30 is driven by appropriate; means and the tube 32communicates with an appropriatefsuction device to drawthe yarn endsclippedffrom the. sock, therethrough. Thus, the elippi'ng means, per se,forms, no part of the present invention. Cables :34 or the like maybeconnected at "oheend 'to the'clipping means, as indicated, and at .the

.a top 38, with 'dro'pleafs 40 at either eiid of the top.

'Fodt pbrtion'ssfl-Z may be provided at the bottom of side walls 36 "asindicated.

'A support E44"isfatt'aeh'ed to the top 38in any desirable manner tohold the form '22 in position. As

best seenv in Figure 2, the support 44 includes a base 46 and ahorizontalcylindrical part 48 connected to the base "by'stem 'stl'andprovided with'a horizontal bore 52. The inner or-rear end of the form 22is mounted for rotation in this bore as will be more fully explainedhereinbelow. As best shown-.ingFigure 2, the form 22 includes an innertubular liner -54, enclosed by intermediate 56 and outer 58. tubularmembers, all of which preferably are circular in transverse section andsuitably joined together. A-contou redihead it fitted at the front endof the form, and-,includesaan .annular recess for receiving the outerend of tubular member 58 in the flush relation shown, presentinga.smooth contour at this end so as 'not to damage asoek. fittedthereover. v

A -pulley 62 is suitably drivingly connected to the inner linerffi linjemb jacing relation therewth, and in- 'cludes forwardly. 64andrearwardly 66 extending hubs. A i'ng .belt 67 'is t'rfained aroundpulley 62 and is driven bl iastructure latter to be described. The outermemberSS fits over the hub 64, as shown, while the hub 66 and the"rear,end of the liner 54 are disposed within the bore 52. The hub 66 andliner 54 preferably are journalled in the bore 52 as by the two bearings68, 70. Each of these bearings preferably is mounted in a counterboredportion of the bore 52, as shown, with the front bearing 68 beingdisposed adjacent the pulley 62 and the rear bearing 70 being positionedadjacent the inner end of the hub 66. A lock nut 72 is shown threadedonto the inner end of hub 66 engaging the bearing 70, and a cylindricalspacer sleeve 74 may be fitted around the hub 66 between the bearings68, 70. Thus, these bearings and the form 22 will be held in theposition shown whereby the form 22 will be rotatable relative to thesupport 44.

The bearings 68, 70 may be of the ball-bearing variety, including inner76 and outer 78 rings with balls 80 fitted therebetween, as isconventional. Additionally, these bearings are so constructed as to beairtight, for a purpose to become apparent as the description proceeds.

A fitting 82 is connected to the rear of the support 44, as by bolts 84(see Figure 1) and includes an annular boss 86 fitting into the spacedefined between the nut 72 and the rear end of the bore 52 of thesupport, as shown in Figure'2. This fitting 82 is engaged to the annularend surface 88 of support 44, as indicated in Figure 2, and appropriatesealing means (not shown), such as a conventional ring, may be providedin the joint where this fitting engages the support.

A tubular sleeve 90 preferably having an internal diameter substantiallyequal to the internal diameter of the liner 54 is carried by fitting 82,in substantially flush relation to the liner, as shown. This sleeveextends into a chamber 92 in housing 94. Housing 94 carries a conduitsection 96 mounted therein as by the threaded connection shown, with anadjustable locking nut 98 threaded onto the conduit section and engagingthe housing, as shown. The inner end of the conduit section 96 and theadjacent end of the tubular sleeve 90 are spaced apart to definetherebetween a fluid inlet 100. The surfaces defining this inlet may becomple mentarily flared, as shown, whereby the fluid inlet is of annularconfiguration, opening and converging in a rearward direction. Ifdesired, sleeve 90 may be formed integrally with conduit section 96,with inlet openings arranged at circumferentially spaced points in theannular region defined by inlet 100 and likewise opening in a rearwarddirection.

Although not shown, appropriate sealing means may be provided betweenthe engaged surfaces of the fitting 82, sleeve 90, housing 94 andconduit section 96, and also between the hub 66 and liner 54 to renderthese various joints airtight.

The internal diameter of the conduit section 96 preferably is ofsubstantially the same internal diameter as the sleeve 90 and is mountedin substantially flush rela tion thereto, as shown, thus providing apassageway 102 of uniform cross-sectional area and uninterrupted inoutline, extending between the front end of the fornr and the rear endof the section 96 for a purpose to become apparent as descriptionproceeds.

A conveying tube 104 is engaged to the conduit sec-- tion 96 andpreferably extends to some suitable collecting receptacle or the like(not shown). This tube may be constructed of any desirable material andmay be transparent, as indicated in Figure 1.

A pipe 106 opens into the annular chamber 92 of housing 94, as best seenin Figures 2 and 4 for introducing fluid under pressure into thischamber for discharge through the inlet 100, whereby it will flowrearwardly, or to the left as viewed in Figure 2, through the conduitsection 96 and tube 104. This rearward flow of fluid under pressure willoperate to draw a sock fitted over the form '22 into the passageway 102,thereby ever-ting the sock and conveying it through the tube 104.

Referring again to the driving means for the form 22,

4 the driving belt 67 extends through holes 108 in the: table top 38 andis trained at its lower end aroundj a pulley 110 carried by a shaft 112,as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Shaft 112 is carried by a conven-'tional speed changing device 114 mounted, for example, on a shelf 116 asbybolts 117 and including an input shaft 118, shown extending at rightangles to shaft 112 and having an idler pulley 120 and a drive pulley 122 disposed thereon. The idler pulley 120, as is understood, is mountedso as to be rotatable relative to shaft 118, while the drive pulley 122is fixed to the shaft 118 to rotate therewith.

A belt 124 is trained around the idler pulley 120 and also around apulley 126 drivingly connected to a take-off shaft 128 of prime mover130. The pulleys 120, 122 are of any known construction and preferablyare disposed adjacent each other whereby the belt 124 may beconveniently shifted from one of these pulleys to the other, as will beset out in more detail hereinbelow, thereby providing a clutcharrangement to rotate or not to rotate shaft 118 depending on which ofthe pulleys 120, 122 the belt 124 is engaged to.

The prime mover 130 may be mounted on a lower shelf 132 as by bolts 134,with a brace 136 engaged to and extending between the shelves, as shown.A clutch lever 138 in the form of a bell crank is pivoted as by bolt 140to a support piece 142 extending from the brace .136. This clutch leverincludes a bifurcated end 144 engaging the belt 124, and is pivotableabout the horizontal axis of bolt 140 to move the belt 124 from theidler pulley 120 to the drive pulley 122 and vice versa.

Pipe 106 is shown extending downwardly through the table top 38 andcommunicates with the pipe 146. Conventional fittings 148 may beprovided in the pipe 106, as shown, and pipe 146 communicates with anappropriate source of fluid under pressure indicated schematically at150. The fluid preferably is air. A conventional quick-acting valve 152is provided in line 146 to control the flow therethrough.

In the illustrative embodiment, a foot treadle 154 is provided forcontrolling the movement of the clutch lever 138 and the actuation ofvalve 152. This treadle 154 may be suitably mounted above the floor forpivotal movement about a horizontal axis, indicated by numeral 156, andtoward or away from the floor. Any appropriate means may be used forpivotally mounting the treadle. For example, a bracket 157 may beprovided on each side of the treadle, resting on the fioor and pivotallysupporting the treadle at 159. Because of the off-center or forwarddisposition of axis 156, the rear end of the treadle will becontinuously urged downwardly by its weight.

A chain 153 or other similar tension device is con- :nected at one endto a bracket 160 on the rear end of the treadle and at the other end tothe clutch lever ..138, as shown. Lever 138 preferably is continuouslyurged to pivot in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1,by means of a compression spring 162 -'fitted at one end into a hole 164in a depending wall 166 -on the table, and connected at its other end toa chain 168 or other similar tension device, the latter being connectedto the lever 138 adjacent chain 158, as shown. The action of spring 162will be observed to operate through the chain 168, lever 138 and chain158 to continuously urge the treadle 154 upwardly. A detent or step 169is fixed to brace 136 in the path of lever 138 to limit thecounterclockwise swinging thereof under the action of spring 162.

An actuating lever 170 for the valve 152 is pivotally connected to amember 172 carried by the valve body for pivotal movement about an axis174. The lever 170 is adapted to open the valve 152 when it is pivotedclockwise about axis 174, as viewed in Figure 1, the valve beingnormally .closed. One end. 176 of the lever 172 will be engaged- '10 anactuating -fodor-= other similar actuating device -(not shown)-in thevalve' I52, while the other end 178 is connected-by a chain link 180toanother lever 182, this latter lever being pivoted at 184 to a membenl86 carried bpthe" loweri shelf 132. A

rod 188 isv-engagedvto the.other-eend/of the lever 182 and to a, rod 190attached to the foot treadle 154, with an appropriateadjustablecoupling-device 192 connecting these rods. -Goupling-device l 92mayinclude a central hole -194-for -receiving the-ends of rods'188, "190,

with set screw-"196adapted-tometightened against the rods tohOId'them-inadjusted 'position.

- this time? the foottreadle 154 is in-the po'sition' shown in Figure 1wherein the belt 124 is engaged to the idler pulley 120-, the form 22therefore being stationary, and the valve 152 is closed. The loose endsand floated yarns on the inside of the sock 24 are exposed and theoperator now presses down on the rear end of the foot treadle 154whereby the clutch lever 138 will be pivoted clockwise to move the belt124 into driving engagement with the drive pulley 122. The valve 152will still be closed. The counterclockwise pivoting of lever 182 aboutaxis 184 will not cause any significant movement of lever 170 due to thechain link connection therebetween.

Power will now be transmitted from the motor 130 through the speedchanging device 114 and belt 67 to rotate the form 22. This rotationpreferably is at relatively high speed so tha loose yarns and yarn endswill stand out from the sock in a relatively taut position due tocentrifugal force and to facilitate clipping. The clipping means 26 isthen lowered into operative position to remove the undesirable portionsof the yarn, sucking them through the tube 32 for discharge to a wastereceptacle.

When the clipping and trimming step is completed, the operator tilts thetreadle in the opposite direction so that the rear end 155 thereof willrise from its lower position to a position thereof above that shown inFigure 1 whereby lever 182 will be pivoted clockwise from its Figure 1position, and whereby the clutch lever 138, through the action of spring162, will return belt 124 to idler pulley 120, thus stopping rotation ofform 22. This pivotal movement of lever 182 will cause lever 170 to bepivoted clockwise about axis 174 to open valve 152. The treadle will beheld in this position long enough for the pressurized fluid to flowthrough pipe 106, chamber 92 and inlet 100 to create a suction inpassageway 102 effective to draw the sock into this passageway andconvey it through tube 104.

The treadle 154 will then be returned to its Figure 1 position as by theweight of the rear end 155 acting about axis 156 and/or by a suitablecompression spring means or the like (not shown) in the valve 152 urginglever 170 to its Figure 1 position. The valve 152 will thus be closedwith the transmission of power to form 22 still discontinued. Theapparatus is now ready for another cycle.

The single operation described above has the following advantages overmethods currently in general use by hosiery mills manufacturing floated,wrapped, or striped patterns:

(1) Eliminates preliminary cutting or slitting of floated yarns or looseyarn ends now required to be done in a separate hand operation beforesocks can be placed on the clipping forms now in use. This is a tediousand expensive operation and is completely eliminated by the presentinvention.

(2) Methods currently used require the operator to move the clipper heada great number of times over a fiat stationary form and also, to turnthe form in the course of the operation so that both sides can beclipped. The present invention requires a minimum movement of theclipper heai and the tt'lrning' 'of the "form-by hand is entireleliminated.

b'otli ha-ad I: and' in Themes-en invention'perferms these'fu etionsautomatically with a si-mp-le movemenadrtharoot treadle.

('4 -Metliods currently used require the operator" to retie' the hosieryin bundlesprior to -further processing.

-Th'e resentinvention eliminates this operation by depositing thehosiery in bags ready for further processing.

All of the i above/advantages r'e'sult in increased proffort on thep'art of the =-operators.

*The present invention will -'thus be" seen to completely andetfecti'ilely "acc ompl'islY- the objects enumerated hereina'oove. Itwill be realized, however, that various changes and substitutions may bemade to the specific embodiments disclosed herein for the purpose ofillustrating the principles of this invention, without departing fromthese principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modificationsencompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for rotating and everting hosiery including, a tubularhosiery form having an open outer end, first means for mounting saidform for rotation about its longitudinal axis, second means operativelyconnected to said form for mechanically rotating said form about its ownlongitudinal axis and relative to said first means, and means forinducing a flow of air inwardly into said form from the open outer endthereof whereby a sock fitted over said form will be drawn into saidform and everted.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein means are provided forselectively controlling the actuation of said rotating means and saidmeans for inducing a flow of air.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said rotating means includesa prime mover and a pulley and belt drive arrangement operativelyconnected to said hosiery form and said prime mover.

4. Apparatus of the character described including a tubular hosiery formhaving an open outer end and adapted to have a sock or the like fittedthereover, first means journalled to and supporting said form inwardlyof said outer end for rotation about its own longitudinal axis, secondmeans for mechanically rotating said form about its own longitudinalaxis and relative to said first means, and sock everting means includingmeans for inducing a flow of air inwardly into said form from the openouter end thereof whereby a sock fitted over said form will be drawninto said form and everted.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 wherein said second means includes:a pulley drivingly connected to said form; a belt trained around saidpulley; and a prime mover operatively connected to said belt; andfurther wherein said sock everting means includes: a fluid conduit meansconnected to said first means and in fluid communication with saidtubular form; an inlet in said conduit means and opening in directionfacing away from said form; and means for conveying fluid under pressureto said inlet.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein clutch means are providedbetween said prime mover and said belt, and a valve being provided insaid means for conveying fluid under pressure to said inlet.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 and further including a controlmeans operatively connected to said clutch means and said valve forselective actuation thereof.

8. Apparatus of the character described comprising: a tubular hosieryform open at its front end, means for mounting said form in a horizontalposition, said means including a base, a support attached to said baseand journal-led to the rear end of said form for supporting the latterabove said base for rotation of said form about its own longitudinalaxis; a prime mover, mechanical means including a clutch arrangementdrivingly connecting said prime mover to said form, a fluid conduitmeans connected to said support rearwardly of said form and in fluidcommunication therewith, valve controlled means operatively connected tosaid conduit means for directing a flow of fluid under pressurerearwardly therethrough to induce a flow of air rearwardly through saidform, and means for selectively controlling the actuation of said clutcharrangement and said valve controlled means whereby said form may berotated about its own longitudinal axis or a rearward flow of airinduced therethrough.

9. In the manufacture of hosiery, the method comprising the steps of:arranging a sock inside-out on a tubular form; rotating the form at asufliciently high speed so that any loose yarn ends or floated yarns onthe inside of the sock will stand out. due. to centrifugal force;trimming said loose yarn ends and floated yarns of said sock; andthereafter drawing said sock intosaid form to evert said sock and conveyit through said form. 1

References flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Laxson Ian. 20,

